This Truth of Mine and Yours
by Nanaki BH
Summary: Ichigo/Ishida - Truth and dare isn't much of a game when the people playing can already tell the answers to each other's questions.


**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ and all related characters and materials are property of Kubo Tite and Shonen Jump.  
**Notes: **Written for the February 3rd request on springkink, "Confessions (revelation of love/desire; of other secrets; truth or dare games. deathbed confessions; revealing truths when feverish) – Why couldn't he just think things through like a normal person?"

This Truth of Mine and Yours  
By: Nanaki BH

"I... don't know," Orihime says tentatively, daintily holding a hand up to press a finger against her bottom lip. "I've never thought about it. But, um. If I had to choose, I'd say a cat! Yoruichi-san is a cat and that looks like it would be a lot of fun!"

Ichigo sighs loudly and untangles his legs from the uncomfortable fold he'd been sitting in, flopping them out in front of himself on the carpet.

"That question sucked, Rukia. What the heck, haven't you ever played truth or dare before?"

Rukia blushes indignantly and turns the bottle at the center of their circle around to face him.

"You want me to ask you something really embarrassing then, Mr. Know-It-All?"

For some reason, he stutters and stumbles over a response and turns his face to the side. It seems that he admits his defeat and brings his feet back under himself. A hand gets waved at her dismissively and they continues the game without question. As the last one who went, Orihime reaches into the middle and spins the bottle around with a flick of her wrist.

It spins for a second or two before it loses its momentum on the carpeted floor and winds down. All eyes lift to look at Uryuu who looks exasperatedly uncomfortable just to be participating in this kind of childish game. He understands the importance of having these kind of moments with his friends, though. Somewhere in him, he knows that all he should care is that he's here with a chance to have fun with people who like him.

But it doesn't change the fact that he has to participate. And that he will most likely feel very, very strange answering any kind of personal question or doing any kind of dare.

In fact, he rules out dares entirely. He's just not going to do any. So he hopes that he'll get asked a question like Rukia's "what kind of animal would you be?" Not that he would have an answer for such an inane question anyway, really, but-

"Ishida-kun," she mumbles, looking up at him, then quickly to the floor and back. "Truth or dare!"

He tries not to look too put out. "Truth."

It takes her a little too long to think of something to ask. She mumbles to herself and looks on the verge of a breakdown when she seems to decide on something and then backpedals. He assures her that he'll answer anything as long as she just... asks.

That seems to encourage her. Looking a little more confident, she takes a breath and then asks in a rush of words, "_Who do you like?_"

Uryuu colors at once. The girls lean forward with interest. Chad doesn't seem very concerned with anything, blending into Ichigo's room. And Ichigo – Uryuu doesn't really know what that look could be described as, but he isn't looking at him. Which is good, he figures, because if he did, then he knows he would be busted instantly.

He clears his throat calmly and says, "That's confidential information."

Rukia smirks and makes a lecherous kind of noise from the back of her throat. "I _see_." Her gaze flits between Uryuu and Orihime. "Is it someone in this room?"

He keeps his lips firmly shut, but they refuse to relent, leaning forward even farther until he can't call it anything but a total invasion of his space.

"I won't say anything."

"That is not how you play!" she complains. Orihime only nods in agreement and he feels bad that it had to be her as the one with the question. At least she had looked nervous to ask it – but something about that makes him worry that she had some kind of expectations. Rukia continues, determined to get an answer. "At least tell us that and then we'll let you go!"

He glances to Ichigo, who seems to be finding the carpet to be the most fascinating thing he has ever seen. Uryuu sighs.

"Yes. Now continue."

Orihime looks utterly surprised and her face goes red and he really hopes upon hope that she isn't getting her own hopes up. He'd rather not admit to his embarrassing affections for the stupidest person in the room.

Rukia swallows, her eyes clouded with thought. Clearly, the girls have been lost to the land where their thoughts go when girls have daydreams about things like boys and who they like. Not that he can't relate since he's often there himself. He just isn't fond of admitting that he can feel as sentimental for someone like... Well. _Him_.

He grabs the bottle quickly and gives it a spin and who would have guess it – he feels like slapping a hand to his face when it lands right on Ichigo. It takes the redhead a second just to notice that it's even landed on him, but when he notices, it's like his whole attitude about the game and how to play it has changed. Before, he was ragging about the rules and how everyone had to do it all and tell it all without any reservations. Now, faced with what could be his own embarrassing scenario, he looks like he's ready to give his own version of "it's confidential."

For some reason, that makes Uryuu grin. How often does he get to embarrass him, really? Yes, he likes him, but getting the upper hand on him sounds so, so appealing.

"Ichigo," he says gently, looking up at him from over his glasses.

Ichigo nods wordlessly.

"Who do you like?"

His reaction isn't what he was expecting. He doesn't get all bothered by it. He doesn't fling his hands out and refuse to answer like he expects. He doesn't do anything, but look at him with a confusing look on his face that's somewhere between concern and... Uryuu really doesn't know what it is. It feels strange, though; that's all he knows. It makes him feel like he's under inspection and no one else in the room seems to be picking up on it at all because they're all too busy yapping for Ichigo to answer.

So he does. He did already, Uryuu belatedly realizes, wordlessly – but now he says it out loud and for some reason, it puts Uryuu on his feet and he's rushing out the door before his name is completely off his lips.

There's silence in the hallway and the pounding of his own pulse in his ears and it stays that way for a minute until he can hear the others making a lot of noise from behind the door. And then the door opens. Ichigo joins him.

Uryuu hopes that Ichigo's family won't suddenly appear in the hall to interrogate them because things are awkward enough already all of a sudden. The silence is quite enough. Inside the room seems to be quieter too but Uryuu knows that they're all probably discussing what just happened. While he stays pressed against the wall, Ichigo moves to stand against the wall next to him and the silence stretches on.

He doesn't know what to say yet. He doesn't know why he ran. All he knows is that he feels bad for doing it. Maybe it was just that hearing it felt too much like a confirmation of something he didn't want to be feeling. Or maybe he did.

"I feel really confused right now," he admits quietly after a moment. He waits for Ichigo to respond.

He makes a small confirming sound and leans his head back into the wall. "I... I'm sorry. I know that was really sudden. Uh. I'm sorry if that freaked you out."

"You were just joking though, right?" He laughs and it comes out sounding awfully pitiful. "You had to make something up. I-I don't know what made me take it personally."

Ichigo's silence then makes it painfully obvious that it wasn't a joke. He knows it wasn't already and he feels cruel for suggesting that it could've been. He wasn't lying when he said he felt confused, though.

"I love you, Ishida," he says.

Uryuu stares down at his shoes, wonders when the fronts got scuffed. The corner of his mouth wobbles and he closes his eyes to force back the sinking feeling that comes over him.

"Why did you have to say that out loud...?" he asks. "You're such an idiotic fool. Why would you say that in front of them?"

Ichigo's hand moves closer and slides into his. Uryuu doesn't force him away. Ichigo squeezes slightly.

"I'm sorry, I. ...I just am. But only for that. I'm not sorry for loving you. You shouldn't feel bad either."

Uryuu snaps his head up to look at him and Ichigo's already got his eyes looking down at him and there's no denying it any longer when Ichigo already knows. He squeezes his hand back too tightly, his nails dig into his palm, and he worries that he's losing control of the expression on his face. He bites his lip to hold back the pathetic sound he almost makes.

"You're unforgivable. _Incorrigible_. Why would you..."

His words don't make it all the way out before Ichigo kisses him.

When he pulls away, he smiles and Uryuu doesn't know whether he should push him away or pull him back in.

"It's okay if you don't wanna say it just yet," he says with a grin, "but I already know the truth."


End file.
